Tree of Remorse
by Oran M. Kamishorr
Summary: Korah -Angela- and her Best Friend and Cousin Gith -Kevin-, move to the previously-restored island of Waffle. They encounter many friendship and relationship troubles and that the Goddess' Tree is Dying- it's up to them to fix their lives and the island
1. Chapter 1  One Island One Dream

**Chapter One**

**One island, One dream**

**-Korah-**

_I hear that waffle town became quiet after the Island was restored. The media claims it was a natural occurrence: which I find rather strange. New townsfolk poured in every day. My cousin Gith and I wanted to start farms there. One- the land is quite fertile, and two my mother and my uncle both raised farms. Gith and I were what you could call "Favorite Cousins", always fitting together in the puzzle of best friendship. We have a third cousin as well, Madeline, who decided to take a later ferry during the next week. Maddy has a thing for "total hotties", and she asked me to tell her specifically if I spotted one. She's out of luck because I don't know what type of guy fits the description "total hottie". When Gith heard about the Island, he reminded me about one of the many dreams he had. His dreams are amazing, and almost always come true. He claims the dream took place on this very island. He told me that I 'll get confused a lot and be the biggest heartbreaker of all…._

Sighing back, I closed my Journal. The ferry was arriving in port. I yelled to Gith and he came rushing from the lower deck to see it. From far or close, that island was beautiful. Five rainbows stretched across the sky, and a vast mountain that seemed to pull them all so that they revolved around it..

"That's it… Mount Gelato." He had this poetic tone about him.

"I bet you could give the tour all your own, huh?" I ask, jokingly.

"Actually…I could…" he trails off. "I still have that dream." He seemed to zone off, to the far distance- past the huge island and illuminated skies. Happily but sadly he stared, with a somewhat raging form of tranquility. The Captain, Pascal called out to us that we had docked the ferry. "We're already in town as soon as we step off this dock." Gith whispered to me. The secret we shared was that Gith had been here one night a week for years and years on end in that one dream. It was a long dream that repeated over and over again, one night each week, or at least he told me. He had it all memorized, because it happened so much.

We soon both followed Pascal off the dock and set foot on stone. He's was saying something, but I didn't pay any attention- If i ever needed any help with anything, I had figured I could just ask Gith. I really didn't feel like listening to anyone at the moment. I stared off to the shores to our left, how the ocean fell under the neat line of the sky. How the water flickered with colors _from_ the sky. I then noticed a fisherman with silvery blue hair walking towards us, at first he had seemed to want business with Pascal… but his attention turned to me.

"Good afternoon", he smiled. His eyes made him appear sly, but everything else about him suggested a friendly manor. "My name is Toby." He reached out his hand to shake.

"Oh… My name is Korah." I reached out and grabbed his hand to shake- but he had something else in mind.  
>He flushed my face as he kissed my hand like a full-blown gentleman.<p>

Gith was the only one not shocked, so he explained to Toby that we had to continue our tour. The silvery hair then continued back across the ocean shores. As we walked away, Gith starting whispering to me "He was in my dream, you know." He kept quiet, so Pascal wouldn't hear. "That's actually the only time you two will have any chemistry." He finished, creating a distance between us.

Our tour had us pass over the town and continue towards the mines. Pascal showed us the Maple Lake District, where most the other residents lived. The view consisted of less than ten houses orbited around a small Lake. A huge Rainbow rising up out of the ground was nearby to the Lake, in between that and a thick tree a child dressed in blue sat. The child looked…inhuman. I quickly rubbed my eyes and looked back, seeing it was a blue flower perched there. At first I regarded it as a mistake of my eye.

"You saw it too." Gith looked at me, almost as puzzled as I. I remained silent while my eyes spelled out the truth. Gith returned my visual grammar with a silent nod.

We soon continued our path to the Gelato Mines district. There were three ways in front of us, Pascal asked us to guess which way was the mines. Gith pointed to the center path, and of course, he was dead on. Next we headed to brownie ranch, vast fields that went on for what seemed like forever. Near the back of the farm was another tree, a red flower beneath. Tempted, I walked to it; but made sure no one was watching.

"Hi there" I whispered, taking a seat by the red delicate thing.

"Hello." I heard it whisper back, I looked around to make sure no one else was near.

"I saw a blue child under another tree, but the next second it was a flower... What are you?" I quickly questioned, checking around, but no one else was even near us. It chuckled "So you can see us?". 

See them?

"I'm not sure what I saw." My eyes then cast down. Gith started heading this way, pascal with him, just as the red flower turned into an elf-sort of a child, with a shiny green hair and red clothes lined with pink- black tights underneath and gloves. Soul-less beady black eyes, with white centers, stared back at me.

"I'll be back" I whispered, getting up and brushing myself off, pretending like I was just taking a break from walking.  
>"I know you will." I hear,<p>

upon turning around, I see the petite red flower again.

"What Just happened?" Gith asked me aloud. "_Gosh_ I was just taking a break." "but-" He started talking but I had to pull him aside. "Not everyone can see them, I'll explain later..." I silently convinced him. We then followed pascal out of brownie ranch and back to the Gelato mines. Here, we soon had ran into someone else. Gith signaled me as he approached- A strong looking man with a shark-tooth necklace and blue hair. Definitely the craziest hair color I've seen today. Gith's signals suggested that he was in the dream. He reeked of some manly man perfume, grabbed my hand and twirled me around

"Who's this?" he asked Pascal. "Her Name is Korah, she's going to be a new resident, along with her relative Gith." He said, gesturing at us upon speaking our names. I silently do an excited nod. "Lucky me~" He grabbed my hand again and twirled me around once more, despite it being really random of him, the twirling was really fun. I almost felt myself getting dizzy.

"That's enough!" Gith broke in, "We have a _tour_ to finish." He was more strict this time, I really don't think he liked this guy at all. "My _name_ is Luke." he shot back. "I'm not causing your _tour _any harm." they were both being flat-out rude to each other, for those who just met. I don't understand why Gith was so rude to him, since he must have been in the dream. "I'll be going now." he backed away, but before he left he let go of my hand, he touched my cheek and let his hand fall away as he left. He had this dignity and pride about him. It was attractive. For some reason, I could still smell the man perfume after he left.

Next, we headed to the _Caramel River District_. We didn't see much of it because we circled back to Waffle Town. I could see, though, from afar, a mountain. A rainbow from Brownie Ranch Stretched up towards it, and another rainbow stretched in another direction from there. "Pascal, what's at the top of that mountain?" I asked, pondering over all that I saw today. "Not much, I hear, but I've never been there myself." he replied "Oh, also, this is the District you'll be living in. Your houses aren't ready yet, so you'll be staying at the inn." He finished with a cough.

We then walked back into Waffle Town "Mayor Hamilton will finish your tours with you when your houses are ready, but for now you'll find anything you need at the inn." we both nodded at this, and then entered the inn.

**~END CHAPTER ONE~**

**Thanks to any feedback that helped me fix this Chapter :)  
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	2. Chapter 2  Blush By Sunset

**Chapter Two**

**Blush by Sunset**

**-Korah-**

A Young man rushed through the corridors. This place was a hotel lobby on one side and a restaurant on the other. Sundae Inn. He rambled on complaining about a strange, strong stench. He stopped in front of me. "Where did you pick up the scent of that _disgusting _man-perfume?" he asked me, but Gith decided to answer for me.  
>"Luke." he fake-coughed to try and almost hide what he was saying from me, but it failed to work.<p>

"That wild animal needs a leash." The young man gestured, rolling his eyes. "I completely agree with you." How could they make fun of him like that? I mean, he _was_ a little random and all, but maybe they know what they're talking about: Maybe they don't. "Hold on a minute" The man walked off and returned with a bucket of water and a cloth. Gith giggled a girly little giggle at this.

"Disgusting man-perfume is contagious, you know." He joked, looking in Gith's direction. "Right cheek and hand." He told the man, while pointing to me. The man instructed me to sit down on a nearby chair. "My name is Chase, by the way." He said, while wiping my cheek with water, smiling at me.

I noticed a girl atop the stairs and hiding behind a corner, who was staring at Gith. Chase noticed me looking off, and followed my gaze to see her also. When he looked back at me laughing I noticed how nice he looked, a strawberry blonde, with mystical purple eyes. I couldn't help but look away, I usually wasn't so scared to look someone in the eyes; but those eyes were flat-out… the nicest eyes I'd ever seen.

"Candace." He laughed looking back. "Staring is rude." That was when Gith finally noticed her. She stepped from behind the corner shyly, looking down at her feet. "M-my name is… Candace." She looked up from behind her gaze, but her eyes retreated back to her feet. She was really cute, I hoped that Gith would realize that, because she had obviously taken a liking to him.

"Candace and Luna, her sister, are staying here until their Grandmother, Miss Shelly, gets back from her trip." Chase explained to us, his expression neutral. "Do you have a tour to finish or get to?" he asked us both. "Nope, Pascal says that we'll have to stay here until our houses are ready." Gith raised his eyebrows. Chase chuckled. I don't think I'll ever understand their combination of signals. What I really didn't understand how they became friends so easily on the spot. I also didn't understand how Gith broke into argument with Luke on the spot. I wondered, maybe, that it was a sign to me.

"Really?" Candace marveled, looking back up from her feet. "Yes, Candace. More opportunities to stare." Chase grinned. Candace frowned and blushed, standing still for only moments before trotting over down the stairs to Chase and flicking him on the forehead.

"You deserved that." Gith laughed, and the mood suddenly became lighter. He does that sometimes, with his ability to make a conversation's mood change. He definitely made Candace shyly smile with that comment. "Candace, Miss Shelly Should be back around nine if you want to head over there then." Chase yelled as she walked off.

**-Gith-**

Later that day, after everyone was done flirting with Korah, I was hanging out outside the inn. It usually wasn't so peaceful back home, with Uncle Mikey's Wife Ann making things explode… and uncle Mikey attacking the old cow with a sickle. My parents, Korah's Parents, Madeline's Parents, and Uncle Mikey were all farmers in a villiage called Flower Bud Villiage. Chase was teaching Korah how to cook (like she didn't know how to do that already). I'm glad they were bonding though, because in my dream-

"Hi Gith." I hear a shy little voice. I turn around to see Candace behind me, _how long has she been standing there?_ It was both adorable and creepy how shy she was (if that's even imaginable that someone could be that combination). "Hi Candace."

She had a shy walk as she approached me. Timidly, she brushed some of her hair behind her ear with her petite hand- Her eyes avoiding mine. "D-do you like sunsets?" she looked up into my eyes and hair fell back into her face. "Yes." I replied- I wasn't sure what to expect at that point. "I know a really nice place to watch the sunset." She smiles, but her eyebrows show worry.

"Take me there" I smiled. That released her eyebrows of distress, and it filled her face with a contagious glee. She led me back to the Caramel River District, where we walked on a path to the right until we got to a bridge, the sun hadn't started setting yet- but it would soon. She crossed the bridge and looked around a bit for something. This bridge is where the river became the ocean, and I looked off into it. It was quite a beautiful view; the water shimmered with the fading blue sky reflected from above. The sun left spots of light on the water and the clouds looked fluffier than they had ever been. The island was made of beautiful nature even without a sunset.

"Ah." I heard Candace; she found something. I looked over to see her scooping up a turtle shell in her hands and and quickly she returned to my side. "This is Lance" she smiled. A turtle's head popped out of the top. Candace's face looked kind of… cute. This of course, distracted me, causing me to be very panicked when Lance jumped out of her hands and onto my head. Candace got him off my head fairly quickly, though.

"H-he likes you." She giggled. It was one of the cutest giggles I've ever heard (I know, coming from a man it doesn't sound like much, but I've heard many a few cute giggles in my lifetime). Then, we headed to Maple Lake district; we sat down by a few rocks. She kept a shy distance away from me, but still close-by. It was less than twenty feet away from the child dressed in blue that we saw: that first flower child.  
>In front of me, the sun touched ground and immediately spread a sheet of pastel over the land that blended together in analogous colors that ranged from yellow to purple. It was romantic and awkward at the same time, I mean; I just met Candice this morning.<p>

I found myself blushing, and the awkwardness fading. For the first time, I really looked at her. She had soft features that drew my eyes away from the vibrant sky. I felt something new inside me- like a giddy feeling in the pit of my stomach. I noticed her eyes, a radiant blue that the sunset couldn't match. She was really… beautiful.

I recognized her at that moment; she was in the dreams: That dream of Waffle Island. I remember. _I was holding her close to me… yelling at someone- someone who I didn't know._ Those blue eyes flickered away from the sunset and saw me. I turned away, trying to look so interested in the rock I sat near. I could feel her eyes watching me now; I bet she wondered why I was even looking at her, I understand her wanting to know- because I want to know, too.

"Let's go back, now." She said quietly. I got up and brushed myself off, my face was still slightly tinted red, so I avoided looking at her again. We returned Lance to his home, and since it was dark, it was easier to hide my embarrassment. _Was I staring at her, just now? Was I really thinking those thoughts? What was that? None of the girls from home made me feel that way, ever. Now, I think I just…somehow…_

_Fell in Love?_

**~END CHAPTER TWO~**


	3. Chapter 3 Food Fight

**Chapter Three**

**Food Fight**

**-Korah-**

I had asked chase to teach me how to cook, or… to supervise me using the kitchen is more accurate. It didn't work so well. Even when he tried to help me, it just made everything worse. All the cookware bubbled over in my irresponsibility. Once or twice I forgot the mitts already. I whirled around to see a pot of grits behind me, boiling over. My silent thoughts distracted me from it. I burned my finger trying to reach out and grab it.

I put my burned finger in my mouth, "Oww." I whined. "Korah." Chase raised his eyebrow, pointing to the tap. I pulled my middle finger from my mouth and shoved it under the cool and fresh relief of the running water. "Hahaha, you're worse than Maya at this." He smiled at me, chuckling. "Who's Maya?" I asked, curious. My heart ached a bit of Jealousy for whoever this girl was. I wandered if Chase had tried to help her cook before.

"She works here." Plainly he said such, as if there might be no other possible way to describe her. "Where is she right now?" I asked, still hurting a bit with my envy. I had to ask. _There's nothing wrong with asking, right?_ "She's out of town with Shelly and Yolanda." He smiled a cool smile, at that. It gave me a mind to wonder why. To this day, I still have no idea what that smile could have possibly meant.

"I'm going for a walk." He announced to me- the only other person there. He started to trot away from the kitchen. "Why?" I asked, I finally turned off the tap and snatched an oven mitt from the other counter to retrieve the pot of grits. "Because you're boring." He looks back at me and laughs. "Oh really…" I slowly questioned, with a sarcastic tone as I reached whatever throw-able thing was nearest to me.

Before he could reply anything, there was a splatter as an Unidentified Flying Object hit him across the torso- an overly ripened Tomato.

He smiled a wide smile, tilting his head and trying to read my playful face correctly. All I could do was smile back in that manner and reach for another Tomato. This one, as it rocketed across the room, was avoided with the most classic of classic Dodge-rolls. I started laughing as it broke against the Mahogany wood Check-in desk behind him. I reached again and another Tomato shot from the kitchen towards Chase. This one, he reached out to possibly catch it within his hand- but it exploded with tomato guts on impact. I cracked up laughing and he took it as an opportunity to run circle around the room. He took this said opportune moment to snatch the basket of tomatoes off the counter and steal my precious ammunition- returning fire towards me. I ducked down behind the counter in fear as the pots above me crashed together by bomb of fruit mush. The Pink-red goo dripped on me and I searched for any other options of ammunition.

A new found basket of onions turned it quickly into a war.

The next I knew, we dodged each other left and right, as the fire flew across the battlefield. Soon, though, I was out of onions; Chase was running low on tomatoes, too. I took a deep breath and daringly nabbed a frying pan that was hanging above the counter. I then moved in closer from the kitchen, tried to block from the oncoming fruit splatters. Some still got through my defenses and burst against my arm. I squealed as I tripped over some random torn and worn tomatoes that were upon the floor. The frying pan then flew from my hands across the room and I found myself on top of Chase. He defenselessly lied on his back, while I held the last bit of ammunition of war:  
>The last tomato.<p>

**-Gith-**

After sunset, Candace and I walked back to the inn in bitter silence. We had no argument or quarrel, but the fact that we could find anything to say… bugged me. We first went, in the dark, to drop off Lance at his little turtle home in the Caramel River district. Then we went along the path in that still dusk to get back to the Inn. Neither of us uttered a word.

Was I afraid? Had her face captivated me to the extent of silence? I know how much of a wimp I sound like. I thought back, again, to Flower Bud Village. I wonder if my Father was ever shy around Mom. This landscape then looks back at me in the darkness. The grass casted evil shadows from the small bright flickers; strategically stationed light posts so that people don't lose their way. I somehow managed to keep my eye on the vile and shadowy grass and where I was going in multitask.

I stopped, with the moonlight reflected on a wildflower by the roadside. Candace stopped in unison, but remained unaware of our sudden halt's purpose. I observed the delicate flower, with it's small and thin white petals, it's yellow center- inked more blue and darker in the night. The light post was causing it to cast a hideous shadow- but at the same time gave it a soft orange-yellow glow of light.

Candace then, finally realized the purpose of stopping and looked at it also. "Do you like Dasies?" she softly spoke, her voice reminded me of how my mother speaks to me. My mother, Maria, is the current mayor of Flower bud village. "Maybe." I replied blankly. "It's just the lighting." I followed my words up with a sigh. "Let's go." I gestured to her and we continued to head towards the inn.

As I stepped up to the steps I heard crashing of pots and pans accompanied by outrageous laughter. Now, this could have been anything, to cause Korah to start laughing maniacally. My mind didn't assume the worst, but still handled a full bit off curiosity. I hear a squeal and the laughter stops. I looked at Candace, and her back at me. We nodded and I opened the door. Candace put her hand over her mouth and my jaw dropped- the whole place was in serious shambles. I see random colors- splattered tomatoes and other food, along with a random of assortment of pots on the floor.

Also on the floor, covered in many foods is Korah. Chase, covered in other foods was awkwardly positioned under her on his back. "Korah…?" I look around the rest of the Inn with my wandering eyes. In Korah's hand was a tomato- presumably one that she was going to attack Chase with in some way. "…What are you two doing…?" I ask anew. Their faces flutter to a bright red color and they separate within an instant of a second.

"Making food." She answers; she then observes the mess herself- scratching the back of her neck with her free hand. My mind sarcastically replied to me _more like making babies_. Her eyes go back to Chase, seeing opportunity. She tossed the bright red commodity with a bit of violence and the blow landed square on his cheek. She followed up her play with a light muffled giggle; attempted to be hidden by her hand.

Then, without the fruit's assistance, Chase turned back red again. Not to confuse, but it was more of an _I-was-caught-off-guard-and-hit-by-a-girl _blush. "Thank you, Korah." He smiled with sarcasm in his tone. She only replied with more giggles.

"What will Yolanda think when she gets back?" Candace finally joins in. What she said showed an intelligence that made up for her usual silence. With that, Chase's face showed a display of complete horror and Korah stopped giggling. He looked down at the crazy mess with an even redder face and cursed under his breath.

I sighed and walked over to a few pots and picked them up. "Get to it." I told them, gesturing the mess. They obeyed.  
>Candace joined in, too, retrieved the cleaning supplies from the back room and helped out.<p>

Mindless chatter filled our ears as we all helped. Korah came across a random realization and point. "So what were _you two_ doing?" She asked Candace and me. "Who? Us?" I answered her question with a question. "Yes, you." She stopped cleaning and pointed at me with a dramatic ferocity. She wouldn't remove her poised finger from my direction until I would spill an answer. "Walking." I blankly gave, avoiding her eye to meet mine. Korah's behavior surprised me; she wasn't usually so outgoing or demanding. I Pondered the fact if she was drunk or not, but it didn't seem that way.

Korah didn't ask again, so I assumed that she got the gist that I wasn't going to really tell her anything. We continued to mop and pick up mutilated tomatoes and onions, polishing the counters, and even cleaning up Korah's mess from the kitchen. All before it was quite late.

**~END CHAPTER THREE~**


	4. Chapter 4 Rain is when the sky cries

**Chapter Four**

**Rain is when the sky cries  
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**-Candace-**

"Nine." I whispered to myself "She should be home by now." Flashes of that beautiful display rushed through my head. He had innocence about him, like he was for real. My chest aches- I missed it already. I had looked at him, and he was staring back at me, his face red-tinted. When our eyes met, his retreated. _I would think he liked me… but it wouldn't ever possibly be true. I'm not attractive…but he…no._

My clothes are simple and bland, my face is just as much, and my body isn't exactly _want-able_.

"Candace" I heard a strict and familiar call, it was from my younger sister Luna. She never acted like a little sister, though. She was always really mean to me. She wasn't around that day much, just out with her perfect boyfriend. "I'm leaving without you, okay?" and I heard moments later from my room, the front door of the inn slam. I could imagine in my head, her running into the rain filled night in her frilled and lace dress.

"At least she's pretty." I said to myself. My sister is gorgeous.  
>She has this light and silky hair, really nice clothes, bright blue eyes and a smile to match. I got jealous all the time over her pretty looks. She has this sullen glare, though, that seems to be stuck on her face at all times. Sometimes, I had wondered if that glare was meant for me.<br>There are upsides, too, though. She protects me from any harm and tries to keep me out of trouble. Even though it's my Job to protect her.

I put the last piece of clothing in my suitcase; I collected myself and headed for the door. _Maybe if I dash, I won't get as wet._  
>Suitcase in tow, I ran towards home. I saw a figure at the door; I wondered if it was Luna or Shelly. No.<br>It was definitely taller than either of them.  
>It was taller than any girl.<br>It had to be a man.

It was Julius.

He turned around to the sound of my footsteps when I saw him I stopped dead in my tracks. He walked up towards me, but I stood my ground for a small time.  
>I could feel tears building up in my eyes.<p>

"Candace-"  
>"No."<br>"Candace-"  
>"Get away from me!"<p>

He sighed and rolled his eyes, taking another few steps towards me. "Just listen to me!" he whined. "And why should I!" I yelled back at him. "You abandoned me for someone else!" and finally I let the tears go- it was too much to hold back.

"I made a mistake, Candace." He took another few steps. After that, I started to retreat. With my retreat, he took quicker steps towards me. With each step he took, the pain stabbed me more and more. More tears only followed the next, as they fell upon my cheek in unison with the rain.

He got so close to me, and grabbed my hand. "Don't touch me!" Without thinking, my hand flung on its own and lashed out at Julius. He kept his grip on my hand, even through my lashings.  
>"I made a mistake." He repeated; he searched my eyes, trying to convince me.<p>

"I know that!" I yelled, lashing out again, my hand then broke free from his grasp. The tears still came, making my rage blurry and clumsy. I backed up to escape from him again. With my suitcase, I turned and ran. Soaked by the rain and tears, I went back to the Inn. The door wouldn't open, I violently shook the knob, and I could still hear Julius calling for me.

Still, in need of escape from those feelings, I pounded on the door. His footsteps came closer. "I wanted to apologize to you!" Julius yelled. "It was a stupid mistake, I didn't realize-"

"No! You didn't!"

I cut off his words and Chase opened the door in his pajamas. He saw my tears and his expression changed from tire to worry. When I was inside, I set my suitcase down and locked the door myself. Korah and Gith were there, too, with fretful face looking at me. "Candace! Are you okay?" Gith broke the silence first, rushing to my side.

"I…I'm fine…" I tried brushing my hair back behind my ear, but it fell back. "Can I stay another night?" I look up at Chase; maybe he'd see the fear in my eyes, the want to get away from my past. "Sure thing." He sighed.

"Candace, come here." Korah called from atop the stairs. I did as she said, taking steps up toward her in her Pajamas. "Lets clean you up." She smiled at me with a Loving smile. I realized, then, how amazingly beautiful she was. She was the prettiest girl I had ever seen. I thought to myself: _She could probably charm any guy she wanted on the whole island! Why is she a farmer?_

After we had gone around the corner, she whispered to me. "What happened?" she looked at me concerned, that sweet smile gone. It must have been a fake smile. But why would she have shown a fake smile?

"I don't want to talk about it…" I looked up at her, my tears had stopped, but my face still showed the emotion that caused them. "I won't say anything to _anyone_, Candace. You can trust me." she gained a worried smile and tilted her head. She then handed me some Dry clothes- a pair of her Pajamas.

"It was a Long time ago._"_ I started to tell, face glum and downcast, while I put on her Pajamas and changed out of my wet clothes.

"I was a bit younger, and so much more of a fool. I started to like boys, and wanted a boyfriend. Well, there was this boy named Julius- and he was kind of attractive… I started to like him… he started to like me… but he liked some other girl, too. In the end, he left me for her… then they broke up… now he won't leave me alone."

"That's Crazy." Korah shook her head. "Why do you keep running away, though?" she looked so confused. "I-…I'm not. I'm…" I stop. I am running away from Julius, every time I see him- mentally and physically. She's right about it. "You were right not to go back to him, though." She smiled at me, a genuine smile. It made her look radiant, even in that inn lighting. My jealousy started at me again. _Why was she so much prettier than me? How could she even try to understand my pain- even though she's never been in that situation before?_

But then I realized- Korah was just trying to be my friend.  
>Korah was just trying to help me with my problems.<br>She wasn't flaunting her looks around- but then why did I feel so Jealous of her looks, and so angry with her for being beautiful?

I started to realize, then, how bad my jealousy had affected me. How much I let it control certain areas of my life- my thoughts, my self-respect, and even some of my actions. It affected my attitude towards my sister, my attitude towards Korah, and my thoughts about Gith. It diluted every bit of my thought, towards others and myself: towards the rest of the world.  
>It was eating away at me like a monster day-in and day-out.<p>

"Candace?" Korah brought me back to reality.  
>"I'm fine." I tried to reassure her. It might not have worked.<p>

"If you ever need someone to talk to, Candace, I could be there for you." She smiled.  
>I had an epiphany, it was that one of the reasons she was so beautiful, was not just born luck, but it was also her confidence. I found me, saying to myself that I wanted to be like Korah. She wasn't perfect, no, but the imperfections I saw in her, I would rather have than the imperfections I saw in myself.<p>

I then thought of Gith, and a Giddy excitement overcame me, I smiled without meaning to. "What are you thinking about?" Korah looked at me with devious curiosity. "Nothing." I giggled, which caught her off guard, and for once, I brushed my hair in front of my ear and into my face.

After that, Chase unlocked an inn room door for me. Cuddled under that soft quilt in Korah's Pajamas- I worried that Shelly and Luna were going to wonder where I was. For once, though, I put my worries aside, and I slept better than I ever had before.

**~END CHAPTER FOUR~**


	5. Chapter 5 The Fifth Rainbow

**Chapter Five**

**The Fifth Rainbow  
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**-Korah-**

My dreams that night were filled with images of those tree-children. They stood in a circle with this beautiful Lady in the middle- her hair shimmered of a crystalline turquoise that faded into a deeper blue color. She had large beautiful wings of pure white- diluted with some of the teal. Her dress was a strapless mermaid design that was also turquoise- but faded down into white.  
>She was adorned with Golden jewelry that resembled gears and her eyes had this loving nature about them.<p>

Through my description of the dream, all would seem well… but they all frowned.  
>They were all sad. There was a tree-child that was purple-clothed, one that was yellow-clothed, and one that was green-clothed, the blue-clothed one that was by the lake, and the red-clothed one that I spoke to.<p>

They all outstretched their tiny hands and called out my name. The beautiful woman pleaded out to me with words that I couldn't recall- I don't think I ever heard them in the actual dream, either.

"Korah!" The red one tried to move towards me, but his feet stood their place. The purple-clothed one burst into tears, and the others tried to calm it; the yellow-clothed child started reciting jokes.

It was before the punch line that I awoke.

That dream had me almost forget what had happened the day before- memories just float aimlessly in my head. So many new faces: Pascal, Toby, Luke, Chase, Candace, and Luna. I had heard of Yolanda, Shelly, Maya, and Julius.

There were so many people on the island that I hadn't met yet- So many more faces and names excited me. I felt like I could take, maybe even, the whole world by storm. I laid facing the ceiling with my arms stretched sideways in those peaceful thoughts, before realizing the fact of the matter: I had to get up to embrace the day and meet all of those people.

I catapulted myself out of bed and landed on my feet- a ninja-like stance if you will. My Pajamas stood no chance to me changing into day clothes; a fresh light-green tunic with the sleeves rolled up past my elbows (and split sides starting my waist down) over an orange tank-tee. The light-green tunic reached halfway to my knees. I put on two-toned blue shorts underneath that went farther to my knees, but didn't reach either. I went ahead and put on my calf-high socks, but I left everything else in my suitcase.

My hair wasn't too much of a mess, except for that cowlick in the back that never stayed down.

_Gith and Maddy have one, too_. I have no idea where this gene came from, though.

My thoughts at the time remembered my genetics classes- _it could have skipped a generation… our parents didn't have these crazy cowlicks, but then again we never knew our grandparents and there's a possibility…_

"Korah!" I heard a voice yell from downstairs, my mind recognizing it as Gith. I quickly emerged from my Inn room and went down the stairs. Waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs was a young man I didn't recognize.

His expression was impatient, and his eyes were bluer than blue. He had this strange blond hair that almost looked green, it was a very light color. He wore a deep blue sweater vest with a Diamond decoration on it. Under the sweater vest was what seemed to be a light-purple collar shirt. His pants were blue- crisscrossed with a pattern similar to plaid and the pants reached past his knees, but not very farther.

He, looking somewhat like a dork, held quite a lot of papers underneath his arm, and Gith stood beside him.

"What is it?" I asked, my eyes looking at all the faces around the room. Quite a few I didn't recognize, but I could almost guarantee they were people I had heard of the day before.

"One, you should meet everyone. You were asleep when they had first got home."  
>I then thought about last night- I went to bed at eight. At around nine-twenty I felt like I had needed a midnight snack and went downstairs into the kitchen. I found Chase and Gith there, conversing over hot chocolate. Gith wouldn't tell me what they were talking about- but they gladly made me some hot cocoa. After that is when Candace came back. They must have all gotten back between eight and nine.<p>

Gith gestured his hand across the room, to an older man with slicked-back dark-silver hair and a neat shirt- whose face intimidated me. Gi eyes were a color I couldn't describe. "This is Jake, the owner of the Inn." Next Gith gestured next to Jake to a nice looking woman, she wore a green dress and reminded me very much of a Gypsy. She had short-cut red hair and red eyes- accompanies by luscious red lipstick. She looked quite tired. "This is his wife, Colleen."

Next, he pointed to a short and very plump old lady- she had a big redder nose (as if she had a cold) and drooped eyes, her wrinkles were visible along her face. She had long pink hair pulled back and tied in braids- that seemed somewhat out-of-character. "…And this is Yolanda,"

Next, I heard rummaging in the kitchen, silverware dropping to the stone floor, and a very high pitched "oops~!" and a giggle. A girl in a fluffy pink dress trotted out of the kitchen with a fresh slice of cake- it was stabbed with a fork atop. She wore an apron over her dress that was of a cream color- and pink shoes that matches her dress. She had two mini twin-braids that seemed to magically float beside her head. Crystal blue eyes bounced with her every step.

"Oh did you make a mess!" Yolanda exclaimed, pointing to the kitchen. The girl displayed an annoyed and child-like sigh, she set her cake down and plopped into a chair. Ignoring Yolanda, her peppy smile returned and she grabbed her fork.

"Go clean it up! Now!" Yolanda went to the table and snatched the fork from the girl's hands. Yolanda was very bold, as the girl was very childish and ignorant. I heard clanging when she returned to the kitchen- must have been that silverware that dropped to the floor. I also heard her putting away various other things- she had obviously made a huge mess just to get to that single slice of cake.

"Maya! Make sure you put them in the right drawers and slots!" I heard Yolanda badger her again- it was followed by another childish sigh and tons of clanging and clonking. So I had realized then, that this was Maya- the girl who Chase told me about. According to him, she's horrible in the kitchen- and that moment right there proved that it was no exaggeration.

"Ahem." The stuck-up looking fellow that was at the bottom of the stairs cleared his throat.

"Ah, yes…and this is Gill." Gith gestured one final time, finishing the introductions.  
>"Was he on the trip, too?" I asked, just plain face and random curiosity- there really was not much emotion.<br>"I was not on the _trip_; I stopped by to have you registered in the town hall. Now, follow me." Gill turned on his heels in an _I'm-so-much-better-than-you_ sort of way (if such can be possible). My only notion was to follow, because Gith was already following. We walked out of the Inn and took two lefts. We ended up traversing to an area that looked like a beautiful square, filled with multicolor of flowers, with a huge two-story brick building looming over it. Far to the right, in the corner of my eye, I could see a tree with a Green flower underneath.

My thought returned to my dream for an instant before vanishing as we disappeared into the building. There was a sign out front, but I had taken no bother to read it.  
>"This is the town hall…and this is Ellie- talk to her to register yourself as a new islander." He nodded towards the girl at the desk before us and walked off.<p>

This is when I realized I still wasn't wearing any shoes. Silently, I hoped that no one else had noticed it. I looked up from my feet to find a gentle-looking lady with short brown hair that stopped above her shoulders, it was neatly parted and matched her deep, brown eyes. She looked much like a maid to me- she wore a long blue dress and a white apron on top. She had this beautiful smile across her face as she spoke to us.

"Hello, you must be the new ranchers." She looked at us happily and brushed a strand of loose hair behind her ear with her left hand, yet she still retained her very proper and ladylike posture. She had a golden ring on her finger.

"Wow," I marveled. "Can I see your ring?" my eyes sparkled and I brought my hands clasped together- as if to pray or beg in some manner.

"Sure." She lit up brighter and outstretched her hand. The ring was made of pure Gold with a feather engraved onto it. After observing it, I gave her hand back. I had wondered what it stood for. "It's my wedding ring." She answered, as if reading my thoughts. "I was married to Grey two-and-a-half years ago." Her smile then widens.

"Grey?"  
>"He works on Brownie ranch, training animals. … So what are your names?"<br>"I'm Gith Bell, and this is Korah Farris." Gith answered for us.  
>"And you live where?" she looked back up after jotting our names down.<br>"Our current arrangements are at the Inn." I then looked around, observing the room a small amount. It was very organized, but not special or anything- looked like any old regular town-hall-office-thing.

"Ah" she raised her eyebrows. "Well, when you get moved into your houses, please come check back with me." she smiled and closed a folder and turned and put it on a shelf in the back. "You can go now, you know." She turned and smiled at us- realizing we were waiting to see if we needed to do anything else.

We both left, and when I got outside my eyes turned to the tree. I figured it was time to get some answers. I parted from Gith's side and walked off the stone of the square area onto the grass- it was wet with early morning dew. I remembered my dream once more as I approached the tree, keeping my eyes set on the flower.

I blinked.

When I had opened my eyes again, there was no more a flower, but a child. I jumped back a step, _it's going to be impossible to get used to that_, I thought. I surely then, approached the Child- it was the green one. He frowned as he sat, my approach was unnoticed. I noticed, as well, that there were only four rainbows in the sky now. The remains of the fifth rainbow were disintegrating.

**~END CHAPTER FIVE~**


	6. Chapter 6 The Harvest Sprites

**Chapter Six**

**The Harvest Sprites**

**-Gith-**

I saw Korah looking up into the sky, so I did as well. At first I didn't get it- there were rainbows as always. She looked back at me in confusion. She stood there in front of the green flower child, while it was moping, sitting in the grass. She looked up again towards the sky and I followed her gaze. I felt stupid. I had been there so many times in my dreaming, but I hadn't understood what was off until that second look at the blue above. There were only four rainbows.

I gasped and ran over to where Korah was in the grass. She was wearing socks, _how did I not notice that before, _while the child sat dazed as Korah dropped to her knees beside it. It leaped up in surprise and horror before calming down again and returning to it's moping. Korah gently reached out and pet the child's head. "What's wrong?" she asked it, she showed an expression of pity, but all the same her expression showed a motherly like love. Her soft eyes looked down at the child. The child, wide-eyed, looked up at her.

"Yes, I can see you." She answered its unspoken question. "No one has given me the pleasure of knowing what you are, though." She removed her hand from the child's head, smiling at it. It's frown turned into a weak smile, but it hesitated to tell her, still.

"I'm a Harvest Sprite, my name is Darren." It replied, as it spoke it grew calmer. "I'm guessing you're a little surprised but-"

"Harvest Sprite?" I broke in. "We grew up with Harvest sprites." I laughed, it was true: Billy, Arthur, and Carlos constantly entertained us as we played by the Goddess' spring in Flower Bud village. They would teach us to play instruments and sing songs- we would even speak with the goddess herself.

"W-what!" Darren backed up; I'm guessing he didn't expect Korah or myself to know a single thing about Harvest Sprites. I'm guessing that everyone else on the island was clueless about them. Darren obviously knew that, which would have been a surprise to me, too- if I were in his shoes.

"Yeah, back in Flower Bud village." Korah smiled, she took the words out of my mind, almost. "With Billy and Arthur and Carlos." She giggled. Her giggle wasn't as cute as Candace's giggles, though. It made me think of Candace again- _maybe we could watch the sunset today like we did yesterday._

"Tell us what's wrong." She looked down on it, worried, her smile gone, but her tranquility constant. I returned to reality- the situation at hand. I wondered if Korah's mind ever wandered off to think about someone. Then I thought of Candace again, and once again, had to have reality shoved in my face.

"The rainbows…they're disappearing…" It almost started crying. It was sad to watch the little Sprite appear so down. I had always seen Harvest Sprites at their happiest and cheery states- never once so upset. Then again, something had to be wrong if this island's main attraction and natural phenomena was going berserk.

"Why?" I asked, puzzled. I wondered what was so special about rainbows- they come and go like any other weather- rain or shine. I had figured that the rainbows weren't such a big deal, rainbows appear and re-appear all the time, even _if_ the island was known for rainbows; those rainbows, shining their colors so much- they had to take a break sometimes, _right?_

"Th-the tree…" it started to sniffle, it's eyes fixed to the ground. It brought its hands together as if in prayer as it staggered a little among the grass.  
>"If the rainbows are gone that means…" It shook its head and dropped to its little knees. The tears actually started to fall, with his little head shakes and eyes glued shut. It struck something inside of me to see it weep- something inside my chest stirred. I felt guilty and a little depressed.<p>

"The tree is Dying!" it squeaked through its black-gloved hands and shivered- the poor thing.

"There-there…" Korah scooted closer to it- I could see concern in her eyes as well. We didn't know what we were supposed to do; we had never seen a sprite act this way, mumbling about some tree. Tree…a tree…I didn't know what it was about the tree that made this so much stranger. I didn't understand it.

"What can we do to help?" She gave it a weak smile. I felt like helping, too, but my words were caught in my throat. Something felt off, but I couldn't pinpoint it just then. The rainbows missing didn't sound like much of a threat to the island or anything- maybe the harvest sprite was just really into rainbows, I thought. Maybe he was really one of those all about nature, was all, because a tree dying didn't sound so important either.

"The recipe…the recipe…" it mumbled. It started to sway a bit, drowsily.  
>"I'm too tired…" Its eyes fluttered and it yawned- showing its tiny teeth. It shook its little elf head and stretched it's arms out sideways. It curled up into a ball and transformed back into a flower within the instant. I guessed that crying like that had taken so much out of it.<p>

Korah slowly got back up, and used her hand to swipe her knees to get any dirt off. She turned around and shrugged at me. Honestly, I didn't know what to do next, either. The only thing we could do was start to head back. We stepped from the grass to the stone and my thoughts once again returned to her socks- _where did her shoes go?_

Though, her shoes weren't very important right then. What seemed more important at the time was Gill approaching us before we could leave The Square; his mouth was open like his jaw had dropped.

"Y-you two…" he stuttered out. His eyes were wide, full of surprise, as they darted back and forth between Korah and I. At first, neither of us got it- what it was that had caught his tongue. We stood there in silence for a small while. A small breeze started to blow, making my bangs shift and almost fall over my eyes- they weren't that long, but they bothered me anyways. It was kind of uncomfortable to sit there and stare blankly at someone. Let alone the fact that it was a man, and that I had no idea what his problem was.

"What?" I raised an eyebrow. I tried to search his face for an answer, but it didn't give away any clues. Then it hit me. _He saw us talking to a flower…o god._

"N-nothing…" he rubbed his eyes and turned around, but he still stood there. I wondered what had made him dismiss it. _Maybe we aren't the only crazy ones on this island_, I thought. It was possible, though. After a few minutes, he finally walked back into The Town Hall, shaking his head and mumbling something unintelligible.

We continued back to the inn, it had been a strange day, and it was yet to be over.  
>As soon as we got back, Korah trotted up the stairs to the second floor and returned barefoot. She walked around a little bit, while I just sat at the table. It was as if I was expecting something to actually happen sometime soon- something exciting or just normal.<p>

I wondered where Candace was. It felt kind of weird to think about her, it really did.  
>Korah looked a little anxious, she glanced over at Maya- who was skipping along wherever Chase went. She seemed a little agitated by it. <em>I wonder if Candace went home already…<em>

I tilted my head down some and looked at my hands. White gloves hid them- but I remembered that I had no use for gloves just yet. I wouldn't pull weeds that day or anything, so it seemed. I had no idea when the Mayor was going to drop by and help us to finish our tour, or give us the keys to our houses.

I looked back up and around. Korah had walked off somewhere. Chase was scolding Maya and she was giggling.

I wondered where Korah went.


	7. Chapter 7 The many ways

**Chapter Seven**

**The many ways you can make someone mad**

**-Korah-**

I couldn't stand it anymore- their flirting. I thought Chase was a pretty nice guy, but I hadn't been the only one, obviously. They were prefect for each other, so I thought that I shouldn't bother them.

Sockless, I wandered around the island. Alone. _I'm not going to get hurt or anything_, I had reasoned, _because if there was an offender, there were also plenty of people who wouldn't mind fighting to get that person off of me.  
>No, I would be fine,<em> I thought.

Where would I go? Where had I to go?  
>Wasn't that the point, though? Being free to go wherever I wanted. I had no responsibilities or chores…yet.<p>

I wandered into the Maple Lake district- such a nice place. There was that Blue flower again, not too far away from where I stood. I was tempted to go near it, but I didn't. I just didn't feel like doing that at the time; comforting another crying flower. I continued on in a different direction before I could feel guilty.

I kept walking, and a chill wind started to blow here and there, tickling my skin and leaving bumps.  
>I had ended up someplace I could not recognize.<br>I was alone in the cold-turning weather, and I had no idea where I was.  
>I kept walking on and on, though; I wouldn't stop.<p>

I followed the dirt road through shifts and turns. Eventually, I came upon a giant root, blocking the path in front of me. I approached it and ran my hand across it- it was bumpy and kind of mossy, and a mixture of colors between green and brown. I wondered why no one had told me about that. It was a beauty of nature; _why not tell the world of this miraculous-sized tree appendage?_

There was no way around it, and no way under it, no way through it, either. The only way to go was up- and so I did.  
>I used my arms to pull myself up on top of it- it wasn't so easy to climb, though. There weren't exactly hand-shaped ridges everywhere that I could grab onto and hoist myself up, but I had managed to do it anyway. Once ontop, I could see a little farther along. There was a forest up ahead.<p>

I wanted to check it out- my curiosity could have been the death of me in some situations. I was glad I was never in a situation like that before.  
>I slid off the root and back onto the dirt road- this road on the other side- that led to a small forest.<br>I kept walking towards it- I ignored the fork in the road- I ignored the sign on the way. I just wanted to see the forest.

It was a sham. Just a tree or two here and there and fresh dirt; mud coated my feet. I sloshed around a little. It felt good to just wiggle my toes in the soft and gooey earth, to sit on a huge stone perched in the ground; to lie on the rock and stare up at the cloudy sky without a care.

It would have been perfect if it was sunny, but it wasn't. That chill wind remained, too, giving me goose bumps over and over again. I let my hair fall in my face.  
>I wondered why it wasn't sunny. It had been sunny that morning.<br>Weather didn't make sense to me, ever, so I dismissed the thought.

There was something majestic about just being out there.  
>I heard footsteps. Boots. I lifted my head a little, <em>what am I thinking wandering into a forest all alone?<em>  
>They didn't notice me sprawled on my rock, I had thought. They were dragging something- something heavy.<br>It scared me.

I couldn't see them from where I was, and they couldn't see me either. I poked around a tree. To my relief, it was only someone chopping trees.  
>From the sound of my rustling, his daring yellow eyes switched at me.<br>"Luke~" I started to approach him, a smile broke over my face.

"Oh…hi there…Korah?" He raised his eyebrow. I figured that it was okay that he forgot my name, considering we had only met a few days back.

"Yep~" I shrugged lightly, in a petit manner.

"Back for more twirling, I presume?" He smiled at me. He looked so devilish, like he would snatch me away.  
>I laughed.<p>

"Sure, but only if you're up to it." I crossed my arms, playfully, and gave him a condescending glance.  
>He loosened my crossed limbs and spun me again.<p>

That time, though, he moved closer. He held me in a way and we swayed and spun and twirled. The waltz. One thing I hadn't expected, he knew how to dance. It was strange, but he knew the waltz very well. The trees around us felt like a crowd, and the mud seemed like the smooth wood of a ballroom floor.

It was nice, until I slipped. He didn't fall with me, but I was covered in mud.  
><em>What am I doing, flirting with some boy in the middle of a forest?<em> Now the mud wasn't just on my feet, it was all up my right side. I had questioned myself if it was karma, of sorts.

The fun was over. I couldn't stay there. I had to go back to the inn- I was messy…too messy. I couldn't brush myself off or stick my feet in the tub- I needed to be hosed down.

"I-I have to go-" I started to pull myself up; an attempt of slipping away, but he caught me by the arm. It felt, for a second, like some forbidden romance sort of novel with the 'don't go' or the 'wait' in dramatic format…story of my life.

"To the inn?" I turned. Man, did he look innocent back then.

"Well yeah" I shrugged- _where else would I go- someone's house?_ But I dismissed the thought. It was a bad thought and needed to go away.  
><em>Bad thoughts.<br>Bad._

"If you get the floors all messy, they'll throw a fit." He released my arm and lightly laughed. "Trust me I know." He gleefully rolled his eyes- as if there were such a thing.

"Well, what do you sugges-" I started to speak, but what caught off guard by the lifting in the air- princess style. It felt like quite a fairytale;  
>such a shame.<p>

"Shall we?" He smiled at me.

"We shall." I giggled.

We headed straight for the inn.

A boot kicked the door open.

"Delivery!"

Everyone's heads turned towards the door.

"One muddy Harvest Princess."

The first thing I saw was Gith angrily stepping forward. I had forgotten he hated Luke. _This could be bad._

"Hello, _Luke_." Gith tried to retain a smile on his face, but it only heightened the anger we could clearly see. His fists were clenched- I had hoped he didn't plan on punching him- because his words had enough punch on their own.

"What's going on guys?" I saw Chase- who was previously conversing with Jake- turn around. He stumbled forwards into the table's rounded corner. It looked like it hurt. Chase retreated to the kitchen with a sour look on his face. I had thought it was the table's fault for attacking his crotch.

"Please set my cousin down." Gith crossed his arms, and glared at Luke.

"But she needs a bath." Luke smiled and joked. It sounded like a joke, at least. I hoped it was a joke.

_God. Why did he just say that?_

"Korah?" Gith turned to me with a smile-it was as if he had just swallowed salt. His face showed it.

"No th-that's um…" I stuttered and looked down- obviously ambarrased.  
>At that point, I realized that Luke's boots were covered in mud anyways. It didn't matter to him whether he was carrying me or not; he ultimately came here to piss everyone off.<br>Maybe it was even his _fault_ that I slipped, I thought.

I jumped out of his arms. "I can do that from here, thanks." I awkwardly waddled off.  
><em>I think I just screwed-over my new life here.<br>Joy._

I soon found the tub upstairs and bathed, but, as I did, I heard yelling downstairs.


	8. Chapter 8 Home Sweet Home

**Chapter Eight**

**Home Sweet Home**

**-Gith-**

"You got mud all over the floor! I just cleaned that!" Colleen walked in on the scene. Korah had already retreated upstairs by then.

"Calm down," her husband, Jake, who was nearby, sat at the inn counter. He fumbled over a ledger with a pen. His gaze flickered to Colleen, to Luke, and then to business numbers again. Later, he was the one to mop up the mess.

"Sorry, honest mistake," Luke shrugged, smiling.  
>He looked <em>so<em> smug.

"Honest mistake the third time this week!" Colleen yelled, pointing at him.  
>"Once more and I'm calling the Mayor in on this!"<p>

"So it has happened before…?" I smiled a tight smile and looked to the dear perpetrator. I had to wonder if he was charming some other dame the last two times, or if he really had made an honest mistake at least once.

"Shoo!" She flicked her wrist at him, as if her hand would sweep him away.

"Fine, fine," he laughed.  
>"But who's gonna carry the poor babe home next time? Chase?" He raised his eyebrows and looked directly at Chase.<p>

"I'm sorry, what?" Maya looked up from a table she was wiping down.

Luke winked at Maya and nodded. Chase's hand attacked his face in face-palm, which made Luke laugh even more. He shrugged and turned to leave.

"And you stay out with that mud, young man!" Colleen waved a broom at him

"Don't tell me what to do," he turned back around; his smile had turned sarcastic and angry. Colleen was not one to waver, though,

"That's it," Jake sighed; he grabbed Luke by the arm and dragged him outside.

Finally.

Later that day, the Mayor stopped by. By then, it was already pretty late, but I think Korah was glad just to be out of the inn. I mean, I was too, but after the stunt she pulled I was glad that we finally got some time to ourselves. Maybe, we'd sit in opposite corners and think about what we'd done.

We had made some really good friends at the time, and _man_ is it only going to get worse.

Anyways, he stopped by and popped us a key.

Just one.

This is only the first inconvenience we came across within that next week. I mean, besides the other inconveniences we had already been inconvenienced by, inconveniently. First, the key; the mayor only had one house ready, and both of us were ready to get out of the inn. Second, these relationships were moving way too fast, and we were greatly aware of it- both downhill and uphill. God, if only we'd have known. Third, and only third was the disappearance of the rainbow. I mean it really wasn't that unsettling, but we realized later how important it was. Fourth was money. Korah and I were both broke after buying houses. The rest, _and oh boy the rest_, there are even more of.

So, when it was evident that only one house had been readied, absolute war broke out between Korah and I. I mean, I wasn't prepared to let Korah out of my sight, but she was determined to escape the inn for whatever reason. Mostly, it was about cheap shots, insults, and who deserved or even "needed" the first house. Really, it was childish wordplay and banter that we were both later ashamed for.

Honestly, after we all got our big-boy pants on and acted like adults is when we decided to share the house temporarily. Some one stopped me on our way out, though.

"Hey, you seen Candace anywhere?" Someone grabbed my shoulder and turned me around in one motion.

"Yeah… I…" I looked at the stranger, he had purple hair and some fancy coat. He looked like someone from my many dreams. In fact, he was in my dreams frequently.  
>"… No, I have not. Was she the short girl with pink hair or…?" I deflected his question with the obvious <em>I'm-new-here-I-don't-know-who-anyone-is<em> trick.

"Oh… never mind," he looked a little disappointed, but only a little. I mean it was obvious that I didn't _seem_ to know her, so he couldn't blame me. He turned around and shuffled his feet, kicking up dust.  
>The ground was finally dry from the rain.<p>

Korah waited before he disappeared into the town before she leaned towards me.

"Who was that?" she asked in whisper. She kept looking around to make sure he wasn't coming back. Who knows why she so quiet, there wasn't anyone around us, was there?

"I'm still not sure." I said aloud and threw off her mumbling. She leaned back into her own personal bubble and stopped invading mine.  
>"Actually, the role he plays is… confusing." I said. I recalled every moment he had shown up with a yellow background- each one was different and random. Maybe he was a wildcard. Maybe he was a very eventful guy. Regardless, I didn't know what he was there for.<p>

"Like how confusing? What are you supposed to do?" Korah asked. I think she glanced back to the corner of a shop. It was like she was looking out for something or someone. I thought she was maybe scared of the flamboyant guy or something.

"Somewhere between punching him in the face and helping him feel better." I told her. It seemed not to really register of something, because she looked even more confused. Usually in the dream, the interactions ranged between those two actions, maybe she just didn't understand because she never had the dream.

"I…hm…" She readjusted her rucksack on her back. She checked the corner again before pulling out a map of Waffle.  
>"Yeah, that's pretty confusing all right." She flipped the map upside-down and sideways. She didn't know which was the right side up. I thought she had pretty much timed out of the conversation by then.<p>

"This whole island is confusing." I said as I reached over and turned the map for her. I even pointed to where we were at and where we were going to make it easy for her.

"What? But you've been having dreams of this place your whole life! Ever since you met the goddess!" She exclaimed, a little louder than I would have wished her to. It was like she was trying to announce it to the world. Thanks, Korah.  
>"I mean… You're kind'a obsessed with this dream of yours. How do you now its what's s'posed to happen and not what's <em>not s'posed to happen<em>?" She closed the map, crumpled it up, and looked back at me, concerned. The map was all wrinkled now. She made me turning it completely pointless. Thanks, Korah.

"I'm not obsessed." I looked to her.

I'm not, really. I mean… I just… I'm not obsessed.

She rolled her eyes at me. Maybe she really thought I was obsessed.

"You've been looking forward to seeing this place you're _whole life_. How are you not obsessed?" She asked. I think she missed the fact that just because she would be obsessed over a magical dream, doesn't mean that I was. If she had the dream I had, she'd be really obsessed.

"Still, though. There are some things I haven't seen. Some important things." Of course, I could never just pinpoint those like I wanted to. I had to wait for them to happen.

I started to move. Standing there was pointless. I really wanted to be out of there. Somehow, Korah's glancing at the corners made me uneasy, and the best thing to do was avoid uncomfortable situations. Korah was quiet the majority of the way there. I got to see a whole area of Waffle Island that was new to me, and in silence.

It was relaxing to see those oak trees winding into a path, and crabgrass sprouting up her and there and eating all of the other plants. Some patches of flowers and clovers made the earth look soft.

I mean, I had seen nature all the time back home- but this place was so new and fresh. It was like home, but it wasn't. The scent of the island was like saltwater and honey. My parents used to live near the shore in Flower Bud village, and the library where my mother worked was near the sand too. Then, when spring came around, Korah's parents would go up to the mountain and collect Honey from beehives and would bring us some.

It was like a nostalgic paradise to walk in caramel river district. We crossed over a freshwater river, but could still see the sea within walking distance, and could see the fish almost jumping out of the water.  
>It was late too, so the whole sky was a glowing orange. Though it felt like home, it… I could feel something strange. It was like I was hiking the mountain by Mr. Jamie's house- it was like I could feel the goddess' fountain near us.<p>

The scenery started trailing downwards as the sun started to fade from the sky, and suddenly, everything felt wrong. The sea felt so far away, the fish all stopped at once, and the whole island became amiss.

"Why did you act like you didn't know Candace?" Korah spoke up. She had waited until we were far from Waffle Town to ask. Somehow, I got the feeling that the scenery around her wasn't on her mind at all this whole time. She was so focused on relationship stuff that she could never see the obvious around her.

We stopped walking.

"Gith?" Korah asked again. She was trying to get my attention, but there was something else.

Something was wrong and I just couldn't see it.

"Lets get home," I started to walk again, but Korah was still just standing there. I turned back and she was looking out at the sky. It really wasn't the time for stargazing, though- it was dark and I thought that we should really be inside a building. I mean we were new to the island and-

"Gith," She sounded worried.

Honestly, when I pretended not to know Candace I just thought I was protecting her. So what if it might confuse Julius later or something, I didn't care. It really didn't matter because-

"Now," I said. We needed to be inside soon, and I wasn't sure why, but it really started to freak me out. We just got here, what if there were coyotes or-

"Did another rainbow just disappear?" she asked me.

I looked up to the sky, and I was right.  
>Something was wrong.<p> 


End file.
